J. Cole’s journey in the music industry has been nothing short of remarkable. Since signing his recording contract, every album he has released has been certified platinum and debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. Notably, three of these albums were produced without any features, with Cole handling most of the production himself. Additionally, Cole is one of only 78 songwriters in the world to have a song certified diamond. What’s even more astounding is that he is the only artist of the 21st century to achieve diamond certification without a music video. Achieving such extraordinary milestones is no small feat; only two people have accomplished this remarkable achievement.
However, Cole’s achievements don’t stop there. He has garnered numerous wild accolades for himself. Cole stands as one of the greatest rappers of all time, truly belonging to the elite group of top-tier rappers. His lyrical prowess, versatile flow, relevant storytelling, and his ability to cook up astonishing bars set him apart. To answer your question, I want to say that J. Cole is indeed on par with Kendrick Lamar with much confidence. I say this because for our generation, when it comes to authentic, powerful rap—bar4bar, flow4flow, lyric4lyric, MC4MC—no one does it better than J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. These two gentlemen have become icons in our generation’s rap game. Without Cole and Kendrick, the trajectory of today’s rap music would not be the same. I feel that Cole and Dot are the two MCs of our time, individuals who have truly pushed the boundaries of rap to the fullest.
However, is J. Cole the KING OF RAP? The answer to that question is no. I say this because if you truly listen to Cole’s musical style, you would agree with me that he doesn’t stand out as someone who self-proclaims himself as the King of Rap. Cole has made it clear in his music that he doesn’t care about money, fame, material possessions, or the top position in the rap game. What J. Cole cares about is the genre itself and the desire to see rap music upheld with the high respect it deserves. J. Cole is EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE; he doesn’t have that ego to go around proclaiming himself as the rap king. I also feel that this mentality is one of the reasons that has propelled him to become one of the greatest individuals to ever do it. Cole approaches all of his songs, albums, EPs, and mixtapes as if he were an unsigned artist. Every time you listen, feel the creativity, hunger, and true genius of J. Cole.
I wouldn’t call J. Cole the King of Rap. I would rather call him “THE MONK OF RAP” because Cole has all the success and wealth, but his main goal is still his craft, just as he has dedicated his entire life to rap, as if rap is the only thing he knows. He is always in the studio writing something, pushing himself to the limit. His obsession with creativity is also reflected at his record label, Dreamville Records, where he has signed artists with the same drive and hunger as him.
